Since 1 July 2026, a firm that provides crypto-asset services in the EU needs a MiCA authorisation under Article 59 or an eligible Article 60 notification. Both routes appear in ESMA’s interim MiCA register. The checks below take a few minutes and use only public sources.
The six checks
1. Find the contracting legal entity
Open the terms of use or customer agreement. Look for the company that the agreement is with, its registered address and its governing law. The register lists legal entities, and one brand can use several companies in different regions. Write down the full company name and, if the terms give one, its LEI.
2. Search the ESMA register
ESMA publishes the interim MiCA register as files on its registers page . The CASP file lists each authorised provider. Our CASP register shows the same file in a searchable table. Search for the company name, the brand and the LEI. A current entry has an authorisation date and no end date.
3. Read the services, a to j
An authorisation covers named services only. The register uses the letters of Article 3(1)(16):
- Custody and administration of crypto-assets for clients
- Operation of a trading platform for crypto-assets
- Exchange of crypto-assets for funds (fiat)
- Exchange of crypto-assets for other crypto-assets
- Execution of orders for crypto-assets on behalf of clients
- Placing of crypto-assets
- Reception and transmission of orders for clients
- Advice on crypto-assets
- Portfolio management on crypto-assets
- Transfer services for crypto-assets on behalf of clients
An exchange that holds your coins needs custody (a). Buying with euros needs exchange for funds (c). Withdrawals to another address need transfer services (j).
4. Check the home state and your country
The home state is where the entity is authorised. Article 65 lets the entity serve other member states after it notifies its home authority. The ESMA file lists those host states. Your country must be the home state or one of the host states.
5. Check the warning lists
Article 110 requires ESMA to keep a register of non-compliant entities. It contains decisions and warnings by national authorities about firms that provide crypto-asset services without authorisation. Search the ESMA file or our MiCA warning list for the brand and every website domain the firm uses.
6. Confirm with the national authority
The home authority’s own register is the most direct source for its decisions. The national registers section below lists three of them. Check again on the day you deposit funds, because an authorisation can be withdrawn or restricted.
Brand names and legal entities
The register rarely uses the brand name as the entity name. The table pairs well-known brands with the legal entity in the ESMA file of 6 October 2026.
| Brand | Legal entity in the register | Authority and home state | Services | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kraken | Payward Europe Solutions Limited | Central Bank of Ireland (CBI), Ireland | 8 of 10 (a, c, d, e, f, g, i, j) | Jun 2025 |
| Coinbase | Coinbase Luxembourg S.A. | Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF), Luxembourg | 7 of 10 (a, c, d, e, f, g, j) | Jun 2025 |
| Bybit | Bybit EU GmbH | Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA), Austria | 5 of 10 (a, c, d, f, j) | May 2025 |
| Crypto.com | Foris DAX MT Limited | Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), Malta | 6 of 10 (a, c, d, e, g, j) | Jan 2025 |
| OKX | OKX Europe Limited | Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), Malta | 9 of 10 (a, b, c, d, e, f, g, i, j) | Jan 2025 |
Kraken also has a second entity in the file. Payward Global Solutions Limited holds the trading-platform service (b). If your terms name a company that is not in the register, the firm that serves you may not be the authorised one.
What your result means
| Result | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed and notified for your country | The entity has a current entry. Your country is its home state or a listed host state. MiCA conduct, custody and complaints rules apply to the listed services (Articles 66, 70, 71 and 75). | Check that the services you use are in the entry and that your terms name the same entity. |
| Licensed in another state, not notified for yours | The entity has a current entry, but your state is not listed as a host state. For example, the ESMA file of 6 October 2026 lists Bybit EU GmbH in 28 host states, and Malta is not among them. | Ask the firm which entity serves you. Check with your national authority, because the ESMA file can lag behind a recent notification. |
| On a warning list | A national authority has issued a decision or warning that the firm provides crypto-asset services without authorisation. ESMA lists these under Article 110. | Do not deposit. If you hold assets there, plan a withdrawal and follow notices from the authority. |
| Not in the register | No current entry matches the entity, brand or LEI. Since the end of the transitional periods, the firm has no MiCA right to provide crypto-asset services in the EU. | Treat the platform as unlicensed. Check the spelling, the LEI and older brand names before you conclude. |
National registers and warning lists
Each home authority publishes its own register. Three of the larger ones are listed here. The MiCA licence by country guide links the authority for all 30 EEA states.
- France, AMF. The AMF whitelist of crypto-asset service providers (PSCA) shows French authorisations and firms that passport into France from another state.
- Germany, BaFin. The BaFin company database has a category for crypto-asset service providers (Kryptowerte-Dienstleister).
- Luxembourg, CSSF. The CSSF Search Entities tool lists supervised entities by type.
Red flags
- The terms name a company outside the EEA, or name no company at all.
- The firm cites a VASP registration, a non-EU licence or a pending application instead of an authorisation.
- The register entry has an end date, or the entity name differs from the terms.
- The brand or one of its domains appears on a national warning list.
- The firm says that you approached it, while it advertises to users in your country.
The SVG licence vs MiCA guide explains why an offshore registration gives no right to serve EU clients.
Common questions
Where is the official list of MiCA-licensed crypto exchanges?
ESMA publishes the interim MiCA register on its website as downloadable files. The CASP file lists every authorised crypto-asset service provider with its legal entity, LEI, home state, authority, services and host states. National authorities such as the AMF, BaFin and the CSSF also publish their own registers. Our CASP register page shows the same ESMA file in a searchable table.
The exchange says it is MiCA compliant. Is that enough?
No. Only an entry in the ESMA register or in the national register of the home authority shows an authorisation. Check that the entry names the same legal entity as your terms of use, that it has no end date and that it covers your country.
Does a national VASP registration still count?
No. A national anti-money laundering registration as a virtual asset service provider (VASP) is not a MiCA authorisation. Firms could rely on national rules only during the transitional period under Article 143(3), which ended on 1 July 2026 at the latest.
What if the exchange is licensed but my country is not listed?
Under Article 65 a CASP must notify its home authority before it provides services in another member state. If your state is neither the home state nor a listed host state, ask the firm which entity serves you and check with your national authority. The ESMA file can lag behind a recent notification.
Is a licensed exchange safe?
A MiCA authorisation brings conduct, custody, safeguarding and complaints rules. It does not guarantee prices, returns or the solvency of the firm, and crypto-assets are not covered by deposit guarantee schemes. The authorisation lowers some risks but does not remove market risk.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (MiCA), Articles 3, 59, 60, 61, 65, 110 and 143eur-lex.europa.eu
- ESMA interim MiCA register, CASP fileesma.europa.eu
- ESMA interim MiCA register, non-compliant entities fileesma.europa.eu
- BaFin company databaseportal.mvp.bafin.de
- CSSF Search Entitiesedesk.apps.cssf.lu
- AMF whitelist of crypto-asset service providers (PSCA)protectepargne.amf-france.org
Reviewed 14 October 2026. ESMA CASP data through 6 October 2026. The page gives general information and does not provide legal or investment advice.